Cross Island Line will be a key part of the MRT network with about 30 stations

The 50km Cross Island Line (CRL) will be an important part of Singapore's rail network, with about 30 stations - most of them interchanges - that will offer commuters many travel options, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said during Parliament, reported The Straits Times. 

Spanning from East to West and serving residential areas such as Loyang, Pasir Ris, Hougang, Ang Mo Kio, Sin Ming, Bukit Timah, Clementi and West Coast, commuters will make at least 600,000 trips on the CRL every day. 

Mr. Khaw was replying to a question from Mr. Louis Ng (Nee Soon GRC) about the two proposed alignments of the CRL - one of which will cut through the Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR) and the other to skirt around it. He said that no decision has been made on which alignment will be chosen. More environmental and technical studies will be carried out, and only after that will an informed decision be made.

But noting the CRL's importance, he said the line will "significantly enhance" the rail network's resilience, and with 600,000 trips a day, its capacity and usage will far exceed that of the North-East Line. The CRL is expected to be completed in 2030.